Flicker toy

ABSTRACT

An animated rotating toy having a centrally located, axially symmetrical rotatable body, wing-like supporting frames extending axially from each side of the body, illustrated cards removably mounted in the frames, and an elongated loop of flexible cord affixed to the outboard end of each frame in a manner so that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational momentum to the rotatable body. The illustrated cards have animated drawings on their opposing faces with the drawing on one face having slightly progressive changes from the drawing on the opposite face so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the drawings as the toy is rotated.

]March 20, 1973 United States Patent 91 Allen F LICKER TOY Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerD. L. Weinhold Attorney-Whann & McManigal [76] Inventor: William R. Allen, 1818 North New Hampshire, Apt. 112, Hollywood, Calif. I

[22] Filed: Aug. 26, 1971 ABSTRACT An animated rotating toy having a centrally located, axially symmetrical rotatable body, wing-like supporting frames extending axially from each side of the body, illustrated cards removably mounted in the frames, and an elongated loop of flexible cord affixed to the outboard end of each frame in a manner so that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational momentum to the rotatable body. The illustrated cards have animated drawings on their opposing faces with the drawing on one face having slightly progressive changes from the drawing on the opposite face so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the drawings as the toy is rotated.

227 M5 mm s wa .N N X m S A "m T m mm C mmnm N m mu m E m m P M T n "P "m t A m m A mums. .I P mmmm WW C S I: R m3 a E s M 0 ""6 c T .m S s Tm m A ammm T M mm" r T aau N u u" k s E s uh e D T 7 R 1 r E 6066 A 8 n 5777 P "GM 9988 o "u N HHHH N N L .M U 01 G l I N S .M m D. e l M006 A UIF fififi m u mum m mwmm B 555 U 2 3 93,897 3/1923 Austria.....................................46/62 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FLICKER 'rov BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to toys and more particularly to a rotating toy which has animated drawings arranged on the toy in a manner that when the toy rotates there is created an illusion of movement of the objects illustrated in the drawings.

Animation has long been an object of great fascination for children of all ages and while the techniques for vivifying illustrations of animals or cartoon characters through manipulation of a series of line drawings are well known, the apparatus used is often complicated and expensive. Best known of the techniques for animation is the sequential projection by means of an optical system of a series of drawings having slightly progressive changes from drawing to drawing. All children are familiar with this form of animation from watching cartoons in motion picture theaters and on television. For home entertainment, however, home movie systems tend to be expensive and far too complicated for children of tender years to operate. Even manually operated toy projection systems tend to be expensive and often are quite fragile and easily broken. Other techniques for animation include providing sequentially changing line drawings on the pages of small books or the like so that as the pages are riffled, the illusion of movement of the characters in the drawings is created. Toys of this type tend to wear out quickly and, because the drawings cannot be changed, the child quickly tires of the toy.

Also of great fascination to children, particularly children of tender years, are toys which in order to be correctly operated require modest practice and the development of a certain degree of manual dexterity. Great satisfaction is realized by the child when after practice he has mastered, and can demonstrate to his parents his mastery of, the operation of the toy. Such toys are not only entertaining to the child for long periods of time, but also are useful in developing the concentration and manual dexterity of the child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the previously stated consideration in mind, it is an object of my invention to provide a toy which combines the fascination of animation and the requirement for the modest practice and development of a degree of coordination by the child in order to correctly operate the toy. Since the animation in the toy of my invention results only from the correct operation of the toy, an added incentive is provided the child to quickly and correctly master the operation of the toy. The toy requires no batteries and does not use parts which tend to wear out quickly. It can be operated by the child without supervision or assistance, thereby serving to keep the child entertained and occupied for considerable periods of time.

A concomitant object of my invention is to provide an animated rotatable toy comprising an axially symmetrical rotatable body having axially extending members carrying animated drawingsv to which rotational momentum can be imparted by the alternate twisting together and untwisting of the opposing portions of elongated loops of flexible material affixed to the axially extending members.

It is another object of my invention to provide a rotatable toy of the type described in the preceding paragraphs in which the drawings carried by the axially extending members are progressively changed from one drawing to the next so as to vivify the characters depicted in the drawings as the toy is rotated.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a rotatable toy of the class described in which the drawings may be removed and new drawings substituted therefor as may be desired by the user.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a rotatable toy which presents an operating challenge to children of tender years so as to maintain their interest in the toy, while at the same time developing their concentration, manual dexterity and coordination.

It is still a further object of my invention to provide a rotatable toy which, in a simple and inexpensive way, embodies techniques of animation and thereby provides an incentive to the child to quickly master the operation of the toy.

It is another object of my invention to provide a toy of the class described which is durable, inexpensive to manufacture, educational, attractive and completely safe for use by children of all ages.

These and other objects are realized by the novel and unique rotatable toy of my invention which, in summary, comprises an axially symmetrical rotatable body, supporting frames axially extending from the body for supporting a plurality of illustrated cards, and means for imparting rotational momentum to the rotatable body in the form of elongated loops of flexible material affixed to the frames in a manner so that they can be alternately twisted and untwisted so as to impart rotational forces to the rotatable body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rotatable toy of my invention as it appears at rest.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 illustrating the manner in which the illustrated cards are slidably supported in the toy.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing the way the toy is held at the beginning of the operational cycle.

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing the twisted loops being pulled taut so as to cause them to untwist, thereby imparting rotational momentum to the toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the rotatable toy of my invention, generally designated by the numeral 12, is shown as having an axially symmetrical rotatable body 14 depicted here in the form of a wheel-shaped member having a thickened hub portion 16 and a thickened rim portion 18 interconnected by a plurality of spokes 20. Although a wheel-shaped member having radially extending spokes is illustrated in this embodiment of my invention, any axially symmetrical body such as, for example, a disc-shaped member or the like may be used. Support means for supporting a plurality of cards 22 having illustrations on their opposite faces is provided in the form of a supporting frame 24 which is affixed to body 14 and has a central web portion 25 interconnecting a pair of elongated members 26 which extend axially from body 14. Members 26 lie in a plane which includes the axis of rotation of body 14 and which is normal to the plane of rotation thereof. As can best be seen by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, members 26 are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 28 formed along their inwardly disposed edges which are adapted to slidably receive cards 22. The rotatable body and support means of my invention can be constructed of moldable plastic, wood or other easily workable, durable material and the hub and elongated members can be molded in one piece as illustrated, or can be made separately and suitably joined together.

interconnecting members 26 at their outboard extremities is a pair of end plates 30 which serve to hold members 26 rigid and also aid in guiding cards 22 into position within grooves 28. Centrally located V-shaped slots 32 are provided in end plates 30 and are adapted to removably receive means for imparting rotational momentum to body portion 14, shown here in the form of elongated loops 34 constructed of a flexible material such as lightweight cord or string. The shape of slots 32 allows the loops of string to be easily affixed to the toy by simply sliding a portion of the loop into the groove and pulling it into a locked position, as illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1 and also in FIG. 5, slots 32 hold the opposing sides of the loops of string in a spaced relationship so that with the toy held as illustrated in FIG. 4, the elongated side portions of the loop can be twisted together by the manual rotation of body portion 14.

To operate the toy, after the loops of string have been twisted together in the manner described, the loops are pulled taut by exerting an axial force on the strings so as to place them under tension. As depicted in FIG. 5, placing the loops under tension will cause them to untwist and, as indicated by the arrow, cause rotational forces to be imparted to the toy. The thickened rim on wheel 14 provides sufficient mass so that the inertia of the rotating wheel will cause the toy to continue to rotate past the point where the loops are completely untwisted and, if the tension on the loops is relaxed slightly, the over-run of the wheel will cause the loops to be retwisted in the opposite direction. By again pulling the loops taut to place them under tensional load, the direction of rotation of the wheel will be reversed, causing the loops to untwist and then, due to the momentum of the rotating wheel, again retwist. By alternately pulling the strings taut and then relaxing them slightly, the wheel can be caused to rotate first in one direction and then in another as long as the action is repeated.

In order to create the illusion of movement of the figures of the objects illustrated on the cards, the illustration on one side of the card has slightly progressive change from the illustration on the opposite side of the card so as to create, as the toy is rotated, the illusion of movement of the depicted characters. It is to be appreciated that separate cards may be provided having wide variety of illustrations of animals, cartoon characters, or other figures so that as the child tires of viewing the illustrations then in the toy, he may easily and simply replace them with cards having different illustrations. The cards may be constructed of a plastic,

cardboard, or other suitable material, and the illustrations may be simple line drawings of animals or the like or they may be complex designs adapted to create various types of optical illusions as the toy rotates.

Iclaim:

l. A rotating toy comprising:

a. an axially symmetrical rotatable body;

b. support means extending axially from said body for removably supporting a plurality of animated drawings, said support means comprising a plurality of elongated members extending axially from said body and having longitudinal grooves formed therein for slidably receiving said animated drawings; and

. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.

2. A rotating toy as defined in claim 1 in which said elongated members lie in a plane which includes the axis of rotation of said body and which is normal to the plane of rotation of said body.

3. A rotating toy comprising:

a. an axially symmetrical rotatable body;

b. support means extending axially from said body and being adapted to removably support a plurality of cards having illustrations thereon, said illustrations having slightly progressive changes from card to card so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the illustrations as the toy is rotated; and

. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.

. A rotating toy comprising:

. an axially symmetrical wheel shaped rotatable body having a thickened hub portion and a thickened rim portion interconnected by a plurality of spokes;

b. support means extending axially from said body for removably supporting a plurality of animated drawings; and

. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.

5. A rotating toy as defined in claim 4 in which said support means comprises a pair of axially extending elongated members interconnected by a centrally located web member which is affixed to the central hub portion of said body, said elongated members having grooves in their inwardly disposed surfaces adapted to removably receive planar cards having illustrations on the opposite sides thereof.

6. A rotating toy as defined in claim 5 in which the illustration on one side of each of the planar cards has a slightly progressive change from the illustrations on the opposite side of the card so as to create the illusion of movement of the character depicted in the illustration as the toy is rotated.

7. A rotating toy as defined in claim 5 in which said elongated members are interconnected at their outboard extremities by end plates having slit portions adapted to receive a portion of said elongated loops of flexible material, said loops being formed of a lightweight cord.

8. A rotating toy comprising:

a. a disc-shaped axially symmetrical rotatable body having a thickened rim portion;

b. a supporting frame affixed to and extending outwardly on either side of said body, said supporting frame being disposed in a plane which includes the axis of rotation of said body and comprising elongated members having longitudinal grooves for slidably receiving cards thereon; c. a plurality of planar cards removably carried by said supporting frame, said planar cards having illustrations on their opposite faces; and elongated loops of flexible material affixed to the outboard ends of said supporting frame in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of said loops can be alternately twisted together and then untwisted by the application of axial forces on said loops, tending to place them under tension, thereby imparting rotational momentum to said body.

9. A rotatable toy as defined in claim 8 in which the illustrations on one side of said planar cards have a slightly progressive change from the illustrations on the opposite sides of the cards so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the illustrations as the toy is rotated.

having illustrations 

1. A rotating toy comprising: a. an axially symmetrical rotatable body; b. support means extending axially from said body for removably supporting a plurality of animated drawings, said support means comprising a plurality of elongated members extending axially from said body and having longitudinal grooves formed therein for slidably receiving said animated drawings; and c. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.
 2. A rotating toy as defined in claim 1 in which said elongated members lie in a plane which includes the axis of rotation of said body and which is normal to the plane of rotation of said body.
 3. A rotating toy comprising: a. an axially symmetrical rotatable body; b. support means extending axially from said body and being adapted to removably support a plurality of cards having illustrations thereon, said illustrations having slightly progressive changes from card to card so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the illustrations as the toy is rotated; and c. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.
 4. A rotating toy comprising: a. an axially symmetrical wheel shaped rotatable body having a thickened hub portion and a thickened rim portion interconnected by a plurality of spokes; b. support means extending axially from said body for removably supporting a plurality of animated drawings; and c. means for imparting rotational momentum to said body comprising elongated loops of flexible material affixed to said support means in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of the loops can be twisted together and then untwisted by pulling the loops taut, thereby imparting rotational forces to said rotatable body.
 5. A rotating toy as defined in claim 4 in which said support means comprises a pair of axially extending elongated members interconnected by a centrally located web member which is affixed to the central hub portion of said body, said elongated members having grooves in their inwardly disposed surfaces adapted to removably receive planar cards having illustrations on the opposite sides thereof.
 6. A rotating toy as defined in claim 5 in which the illustration on one side of each of the planar cards has a slightly progressive change from the illustrations on the opposite side of the card so as to create the illusion of movement of the character depicted in the illustration as the toy is rotated.
 7. A rotating toy as defined in claim 5 in which said elongated members are interconnected at their outboard extremities by end plates having slit portions adapted to receive a portion of said elongated loops of flexible material, said loops being formed of a light-weight cord.
 8. A rotating toy comprising: a. a disc-shaped axially symmetrical rotatable body having a thickened rim portion; b. a supporting frame affixed to and extending outwardly on either side of said body, said supporting frame being disposed in a plane which includes the axis of rotation of said body and comprising elongated members having longitudinal grooves for slidably receiving cards having illustrations thereon; c. a plurality of planar cards removably carried by said supporting frame, said planar cards having illustrations on their opposite faces; and d. elongated loops of flexible material affixed to the outboard ends of said supporting frame in a manner that the opposing elongated side portions of said loops can be alternately twisted together and then untwisted by the application of axial forces on said loops, tending to place them under tension, thereby imparting rotational momentum to said body.
 9. A rotatable toy as defined in claim 8 in which the illustrations on one side of said planar cards have a slightly progressive change from the illustrations on the opposite sides of the cards so as to create the illusion of movement of the characters depicted in the illustrations as the toy is rotated. 